Morning People
by Tozette
Summary: In the mornings, Kai hates everything. In the mornings, Rei hates Kai. In the mornings, everybody had better watch out. Later chapters will involve KaiRei yaoi. Rating may be subject to change.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The manga/anime series, "Beyblade" and any and all characters or place names pertaining thereto are the sole property of the creator and associated persons. The author of this story does not claim or aspire to own any of these. Any thoughts or opinions expressed by the characters in this piece of fanwork do not necessarily reflect those of the author or of the creator of the original series.

For _Hannah_, because it turns out that I cannot draw. I will attempt your epic sooner or later, but I'm trying to get used to writing these guys. Thank you.

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Hiwatari Kai had never been a morning person. Sure, he was an international champion in a sport, but he didn't see why that should make him a morning person. He got by well enough by faking morning-person habits with the help of an alarm clock, which wasn't too hard, since Kai's, "I'm-cranky-because-I hate-mornings" expression was not at all dissimilar to his, "I'm-cranky-because-I-hate-_everything_" expression.

Either way, Kai was pretty good to go as long as he didn't have to operate anything more complicated than an automatic coffee-maker before eleven. Actually, he suspected that it might have been anything _except_ an automatic coffee-maker before eleven, since that one time that he'd accidentally tried to make eggs in the microwave had been a bit of a disaster. Fortunately, nobody had seen that one and he'd pretended no prior knowledge as to why the VCR now made toast, so he'd gotten off without any suspicion.

Meh. Who needed to actually _eat_ breakfast, anyway?

Tyson, _damn him_, really was a morning person, with real morning-person habits. Like actually eating. And filling the house (and consequently Kai's complaining stomach) with the smells of _food_ and lots of it.

So while Kai gulped his coffee (scalding, black and without sugar, because he didn't want to try that twice, having used salt and orange juice the first time), leaned stoically against the wall and pretended that _his damn disobedient stomach _was not making _all sorts of embarrassing noises,_ Tyson wolfed down enough food to feed half an army and their camp-followers.

Of course, Tyson and Max (now _finally _having admitted to being _sickeningly _in love with one another and consequently even _more_ intolerable than usual) were oblivious to Kai's part in the morning ritual, happily going about the business of being the godforsaken, bouncy, smiley, happy _morning people_ that they were.

Kenny usually started and finished his day by opening and closing the lid of his laptop – how much battery power did that stupid piece of junk _have_, anyway, and why did she insist on _yapping so cheerfully_ every morning? – and was so totally wrapped up in his part of the business that he didn't really notice _anything_ outside of its screen, but he was a _morning person_, too, and Kai _knew it_ and he _detested it_.

Rei, on the other hand, was _not _a morning person. Rei didn't have the superiority complex – or, at least, Kai allowed, the _sort_ of superiority complex – that forced him to fake morning-person habits, either. So, even when woken by Kai's _horrifically loud_ alarm clock (early – _really_ early), he loitered in bed for a good hour, blinking at the ceiling and mumbling in incoherent grogginess and sliding in and out of sleep again and again before slowly becoming recognisable as something akin to _homo sapiens._

At this point he would rise and stagger into the world of the living, where he hated everything for at least another hour and four cups of tea (tea that Max got the pleasure of making, since _nobody_, not even Tyson trusted Rei with _anything_ in the mornings after what was now only referred to as _The Incident_ and involved a hair-dryer and a Chihuahua, the latter of which nobody had seen before and nobody had seen again).

He particularly hated Kai in the mornings because, invariably, the self-proclaimed Team Leader would Lean against His Wall (_His_ Wall – nobody else might Lean, oh _no…_) drink coffee and stoically pretend to be a Morning Person, which Rei _knew_ he was not because he'd _slept in the same hotel room_ as the bastard and _nobody_ could fake Not-Morning Person Habits, not like that, and he didn't believe for a _second_ that Kai would miss the door by three freakin' feet on _purpose_.

But more to the point, Kai would glare with such unadulterated _hatred_ at all of the real Morning People that they should have _known_ what was coming next, because _Rei_ sure as hell did and he _hated _seeing it come to pass _every single morning_ and if _he _could see it in _his _state, why the _hell_ couldn't _they?_

"Tyson! Max! Rei! Let's go, we need to practise! _Now!_"

And then there was always the battles and the physical exertion and the _lack of food_ before the clock struck twelve and Kai was at least _human_ and everybody was _amazed_ that they'd survived the morning. Again.

And Rei _hated_ it, because couldn't Kai at least _pretend_ to adhere to psychological norms and _fake_ empathy for his fellow Not-Morning Person?

Evidently not.

And so the cycle continued, day after day after _day_ until Rei felt like he was going to _crack_ under the pressure of being so mercilessly _forced_ to fake _sentience_ every god_damn_ morning.

Kai might have been happy Faking Morning Person Habits, but He Was Not.


	2. Chapter 2

Apparently the prologue to this was somewhat confusing – I'm sorry about that. My idea was simply to establish a routine so that I might better interrupt it and thus come up with something of a plot. Does that help?

Actually, I don't have _any_ design at all for a plot for this story, so I'm just playing it by ear. If, at any time, anybody wants to suggest a plot element, feel free. I'll probably ignore you, but feel free anyway. 

Yes, this is going to be yaoi. If you don't like it, please, please either get over it or don't review. I'm really not interested in stupidity. Aside from the fanfiction kind, of course. 

Much love,

Yasi

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There came a time when they received intelligence that they needed to leave this particular house to travel around the Beyblading world to "take names and kick ass" again (as Tyson, in his less-lucid and certainly hormonally affected state of having recently turned sixteen had put it), and the Morning Routine had only gotten worse for Rei.

Just over a fortnight prior to their upcoming move, Kai had decided on a new training regime – or, at least, that was what he called it when he booted them all out of bed so early that even the Morning People complained and _insisted_ that they train until they bled. And, since Beyblading was not, strictly (although extenuating circumstances had been known to apply), a blood sport, this sometimes took quite a while.

The physical exercise was possibly the worst part. _Kai _might have been more than happy to run fifteen miles come rain or shine, but Tyson had long since stopped believing the theory that fitter people Beybladed best, because, as he'd pointed out (and earned all of them two extra miles), they were _already_ champions without this shit, weren't they?

Even Max's perpetual cheerfulness – a cheerfulness which Rei privately thought might have been chemically dependant, be it heroine or sugar – had been shaken by this newest part of the routine. Needless to say, Rei was not having an easy time of it. Mornings were not his ideal time at all, and, although he was certainly one of the best bladers in the world, he lost most of his early-morning battles. He was _not_ pleased with this newest turn of events.

Did Kai just have something _against _sleep? Was it at all possible that he simply did not _comprehend_ that training exercises did not have to be strictly limited to the pre-dawn? Whatever the reason, Rei concluded that he must have the opportunity to a) speak to Kai _alone (_since it was almost universally acknowledged that he was the team member whose society Kai could tolerate with greatest ease) and b) actually succeed at some of these early-morning training exercises.

With this in mind he remained awake all through the night and a part of the morning, figuring that it was much easier to remain awake than to sleep and wake up. He was privy to the most amusing ritual of what was to turn out to be a most amusing day – Kai making his first cup of coffee.

Rei's life philosophy sort of subsisted on the view that there were only two types of people on the planet; those who could tolerate mornings and those who could not. Kai was obviously the latter pretending to be the former, and it was most entertaining to watch him struggle towards this goal.

The door from the corridor containing their various bedrooms (Max and Tyson sharing, since they both snored the loudest) led almost directly out into the kitchen area, which was divided from the rest of the room (living and dining, although "dining" was a very loose definition of what went on there) by a long counter. Kai managed to walk into this twice while making coffee, and he seemed to be looking for a cup in the cutlery drawer.

Rei snickered.

Indeed, he did not even notice that Rei was in the same room as him, yellow eyes sparkling with unconcealed amusement and smiling lips politely (if not coquettishly, really) hidden behind one hand until the third cup of coffee had passed his lips. By this point, something resembling life began to filter into his eyes.

"…Rei."

"Correct," Rei responded, wondering if it would be suicide to offer him a cookie from the conveniently situated cookie jar to his right as a reward for the observation. Probably. Pity, really.

"… Why are you here?" he asked, eyes attempting to narrow. He blinked when he seemed to realise that he'd gone cross-eyed instead.

Kai was messy in the early mornings, before anybody else was up, and his tank top was falling off one shoulder, having evidently been slept in (nothing else could explain its state). His jeans, though having seen better days, were on the right way around and actually done up with all of the buttons in their corresponding holes, which was more than Rei would trust himself with since the Incident with the Socks.

Anyway, Rei thought it was cute. _Really_ cute. It was good for team morale for their leader to make a dickhead of himself occasionally.

"I live here," Rei said.

"Oh." Kai nodded solemnly, frowning at the vague thought that that didn't really answer his question.

Rei decided that perhaps he'd have to wait for some later opportunity to talk to Kai about the arrangement of the training regime, since he didn't seem too lucid himself at that point in the day, but he asked anyway. Maybe if he struck while he was vulnerable, Kai would consent to changing it. Rei almost winced at how mercenary he was becoming – and all in the name of a sleep-in, too.

"So, um, Kai…" he ran one finger around the rim of Kai's coffee cup self-consciously before realising that the other boy probably didn't want him touching something he had to drink from and jerking his hand away. "About this training thing…."

"It's necessary," the Leader snapped. It was funny how alert he was when he was on the defensive.

"Um, that's okay," Rei said in what he hoped were placating tones and waving one hand in the air. Kai squinted at it, not at all sure if he was waving that concern off or trying to ward away an attack. Probably the latter. "It's the _timing_ that's bothering me," he said.

Kai's eyes narrowed and his eyebrow raised a fraction of an inch. Rei knew that Kai probably practised his stoicism in the bathroom mirror (because, really, how long could he possibly be spending on his hair, considering what it looked like?) and that, consequently, the key to reading a Kai Expression was all in the eyes. And he knew, from extensive observation, that even if that raised eyebrow wasn't the same twitch that bespoke physical violence, it was not good news.

"The timing," he repeated dully.

Rei breathed again.

"Yes," he agreed, "the timing. I believe that it would better to move training to the afternoons."

Kai gulped what was left of his fifth cup and shoved it back under the machine, demanding more. Rei wondered that the poor thing hadn't broken yet. He noticed that his top was half off one shoulder and tried to shrug it back into place, failed and spilt half of the coffee on the bench instead.

Swearing, he looked around for something to clear it up with. Rei smiled indulgently, using his hair as a shield against Kai's noticing it, and wiped it up for him, setting the cup to rights and setting the machine to making another.

Kai glared at him for having the audacity to help and thus infringe on his stubborn pride. "Practises are in the mornings," he maintained.

"Uh-huh," Rei agreed. "I know. I'm asking about _changing_ that, see?"

Kai's glare was more sentient than he was. "Why?" he asked.

"Because, as I'm sure you've noticed, training is not doing anything for my self-confidence."

Kai raised that eyebrow again. "Your self-confidence," he said snidely, "could probably do with a bruising."

"Hypocrite," Rei said sulkily. Kai shrugged in indifferent acknowledgement, glancing at the sky.

"An hour," he mumbled.

"Gonna storm."

"Mmm. You're up early."

Rei grinned. "Kind of you to notice. I wanted to talk to you."

Kai blinked in confusion. It was actually kind of amusing to watch that expression flit behind his eyes momentarily. He looked over at Rei. "You got up early to talk to me?"

Rei shrugged. "Stayed up late, actually," he said.

Kai, feeling as though he should point out that he was perfectly accessible at other hours of the day, decided against remarking on this odd behaviour. After all, if he was to tell anybody that he could be spoken to on a whim, they might actually do it, and then he might actually have to answer. That would be bad – and not just for him.

He made some random grunting noise instead, figuring that Rei could interpret it however he wanted.

Thunder roared. They both turned towards the window to watch the first fat drops of rain hit the glass.

"Gonna storm."

"Mmm."

"You going to make us go out in that?" Rei asked in a few moments when the wind had started to pick up.

Kai yawned – the jaw-cracking, sleepy sort of yawn that cannot be prevented – blushing a little in embarrassment. Rei wasn't quite sure what he was embarrassed about, but then, he was of the opinion that Kai was overly concerned with matters or pride and dignity.

Thunder boomed loudly above their heads.

Kai looked outside and sighed. "Do you think I could make Tyson do it?" he asked resignedly, turning towards him.

Rei looked back out the window, surprised at having been asked. "Maybe. I don't think so."

Kai nodded and looked at Rei, then back out at the world. His lips quirked in the faintest smile. "Are you coming, then?" he asked, putting the coffee cup down.

Rei looked outside and groaned. "Are you _insane_?" he asked him. "If you can't get Tyson to do it, what makes you think you can get _me_ to come with you?"

Kai pulled on his coat. Rei stared incredulously for a moment longer at him. Kai tossed and caught the keys, letting their jingle speak for him. Rei got the message and grabbed his own coat.

It wouldn't be too bad, really, he consoled himself. It was just him and Kai with no slower runners to slow them down, so that part of the ordeal would be over quickly, and he actually stood a chance of winning the battles to come if Kai didn't wake up pretty fast. So, aside from it being five in the morning and pissing down with rain and freezing cold, it wouldn't be much worse than usual.

Rei wanted to curl up in a corner and hide.

He strapped some steel to his spine and scooped up Driger, determined to follow Mister Team Leader. As the only truly consoling factor, he reflected, they'd be alone, and Kai was always more willing to talk when they were alone. Perhaps he'd get a step closer to understanding the enigma.

Or maybe he'd just get wet and tired and get his arse handed to him.

"Be strong, Rei," he said to himself.

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Be strong, rabid fangirls and boys. The yaoi is on its way. Eventually.


	3. Chapter 3

See first chapter for disclaimer.

My god, I have an eighty-word sentence. I'm so, so sorry. -- If you're offended by run-on sentences, this is obviously not the place for you. My apologies.

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"Be strong, Rei," was soon to become his mantra for the day. His footsteps hit the wet ground hard, sending little droplets of water up to sparkle in the sort-of-sunlight of pre-dawn and soak the bottoms of his pants.

Kai was running ahead of him, of course. Rei's irritable frame of mind suggested that it was because he felt the need to prove himself to be better in all facets of life, even one as pathetic as who should run faster. The more forgiving, more rational part of his mind fancied that the only reason they weren't running tandem was because the idea of equality had yet to enter Kai's head and the Much Exalted Team Leader would most definitely not consent to _follow_.

Really, neither opinion was very friendly, but, whatever the reason, running behind him did give Rei a rather nice perspective on the matter. Particularly when Kai decided to take a detour (without consulting Rei, of course – why _would_ he?) and make them run uphill for several miles.

By the time they reached the top, Rei was sufficiently out of breath to merit Kai taking a break for a few moments to catch his own. By this point in time, Rei, being the smart cookie he was (well, he was smarter than at least forty percent of his team, anyway) and having actually bent his intellect towards this end for several days, had decided that Kai's mind-boggling arrogance, terminal uncommunicativeness and total lack of respect for others' wishes were owed merely to his assumption that he _was_ the smarter twenty percent of their team and that they had nothing useful to contribute to decision-making anyway.

Rei had to admit that this assumption, judging from the day-to-day behaviour of Max, Tyson and Kenny (and himself sometimes, although he had neither the self-awareness nor the humility to admit it), was relatively well-founded, if a little harsh. When was Kai not a little harsh, anyway?

Exactly.

The new idea that Kai's general ill-nature towards everybody was not owed to the wilful malice and active dislike that everybody on their team had, at one time or another claimed (and usually only half in jest), but to his being obstinate and judgemental and his consequent obliviousness of them actually possessing a single human brain between the four of them was refreshing. It made him much better disposed towards their Much Exalted Team Leader, if a little more inclined to laugh at him.

The plan formed slowly in his mind.

But it was knocked straight out of there when he had a chance to stand up and admire the view. The hill they had run to the top of was big, for certain, but he hadn't been aware that it was quite _that_ big. Obviously, he'd had other things on his mind. Poor Kai, running up all that way with no eye-candy to take his mind off the burning in his legs.

The entirety of the village (and it was a village, really, no matter what the people that lived there wished to call it) they were staying in was exposed from the peak of the hill, laid flat out beneath them. It might have been pouring with rain and only just passing dawn, but the view was still spectacular – mist hanging, cold light glinting from rooftops, mountains lost to the skies on the far side…

"Nifty," he commented.

Kai snorted derisively and turned away, even though he'd obviously been watching it for a good while now. Rei shook his head at this behaviour. It brought his mind back to his plan, his scheme, his…

Well, okay. It was a tiny fragment of an idea, and he knew that it would most likely expire if he looked too closely at it right then, but it _was_ an idea, and he _would_ turn it into a plan, or something like it.

Because now that he knew Kai's behaviour for what he thought it was, he thought that perhaps he could change it. He didn't know exactly _how_, yet, but he suspected that it would involve flow-charts and diary entries and a lot of secrecy, since he couldn't really confide in anybody on their team on account of the fact that even _he_ didn't estimate their intelligence too far above a seventy IQ outside of a battle, and probably a few long, meaningful conversations with Kai that might actually consist of more than thirteen words apiece.

And, oh, alright. Perhaps it might also involve the _tiniest_ bit of… _coquetry_. Or maybe even coquetry as a key element of the plot, if he could swing it.

Only to put him on the back foot, though. You know – something odd and unusual to make him let down his guard for that split second that would allow Rei to see everything and somehow manipulate him into something less than indifferent to everybody. Or at least something less than indifferent to _Rei_, who, in Rei's worldview, was rather central to everything anyway.

But that was it. No ulterior motives.

His stomach roared. It was actually somewhat _louder_ than the thunder. Kai turned to glare at him. It was not an "I'm-cranky-because-I-hate-mornings" glare, nor was it an "I'm-cranky-because-I-hate-everything" kind of glare. Rather, it was an, "Are-you-_serious_-I-thought-I-wouldn't-have-to-put-up-with-hungry-idiots-today-how-dare-you-betray-me" kind of glare, and Rei found it awfully cute.

"Rei…"

Rei batted his eyelashes experimentally and was _most_ gratified when the older boy looked away almost immediately with a faint flush on his cheeks. Whether it was from actual embarrassment or anger at embarrassment, Rei could not tell, but he liked it.

I promise to use this power only for good, he swore.

"Kai…" he said sweetly.

Mm'kay. Mostly for good.

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When I opened my inbox this morning, I was rather amazed to find that I had ten reviews for this story already. How in hell did I manage that? O.o

Well, thank you for your kindness in reviewing, anyway, and I hope you all enjoy this instalment as much as you seem to have enjoyed those previous. :)

Any comments or criticisms you wish to make would be appreciated greatly.


	4. Chapter 4

See first chapter for disclaimer.

I'm very, very pleased that people seem to think that Rei is equally IC. I was a little afraid that it had been too long since I'd seen any of Beyblade to get _either_ character correct. Thank you!

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Rei was delighted.

Coquetry seemed to be the go, really. If Kai's little blush-and-turn-away-because-I'm-really-_not_-interested act hadn't been obvious proof, how in hell could the current situation be explained?

Well, Rei supposed that it might be explained away by several blows to his head, or sleeping with his head packed in ice, or some sort of strange drug that Rei hadn't noticed him taking or an impromptu lobotomy with an ice-pick, but, really, how likely were any of those possibilities? Precisely. So Rei was forced to concede (although it should be noted that it did not take very much forcing for him to concede on the matter) that Kai was affected by his… many, many charms.

There was no other way that he'd be sitting there (tapping his nails impatiently in staccato on the table) and feeding Rei (grumbling and hissing _most_ distastefully about being the only person to have brought money) hot scones and jam for breakfast. He'd never have done it for any of the others, at least. Although, Rei was also forced to concede (and it took rather more persuading from his rational mind this time), that, should any of the others be present, Tyson would most likely _also _be present, which would ensure that nobody _ever_ offered to pay for a meal, because, really, who wanted to be financially responsible for Tyson's stomach?

So it was, technically, possible that Kai might have been prevailed upon to pay for, say, Max, or Kenny, under similar circumstances, but Rei flattered himself (he was being too rational lately and felt, on some level, that he deserved the indulgence in fancy that such thoughts must require) that they would have had to beg a lot more than he had. In fact, he'd only had to ask twice that they interrupt their training for some food – his stomach, having decided to be _most_ agreeable to his current circumstances, had done the rest for him, growling loudly at the most appropriate moments.

And Kai, who, while overly-interested in training (in Rei's humble opinion), did not seem to appreciate the freezing cold or the constant rain enough to be overly adamant about sticking it out. The fact that Rei was the one to suggest that they go somewhere _warm_ and eat breakfast, and was thus the first to admit weakness, seemed to satisfy the demands of the Much Exalted Team Leader's ego enough to allow him to acquiesce.

At least, it did until he realised that _he_ was going to have to pay. This had been conveniently forgotten by Rei until he'd made sure that Kai had felt the first comforting warmth of the bakery.

But even still…

"…Well, we can go back out and have a few practise battles," Rei said with a sigh, stretching and cracking his neck. The waiters and waitresses were giving them evil looks for tracking water in – water that they would certainly have to clean up. Rei grinned at the nearest waitress. Her glare intensified, but Rei had been glared at by the best and felt perfectly secure under her eyes.

The place was warm, and dry, and what wasn't made of wood was painted in earth tones, which only made it feel warmer. There were embroidered tablecloths and little vases with flowers and several kinds of tea.

Kai nodded, but seemed somehow reluctant to leave. He grunted, and then glanced at Rei. Rei tried to make himself look small and pitiful. The ease with which he imitated a drowned kitten was almost frightening.

Kai had been halfway through turning, but stopped at the last moment. He glared at Rei, who blinked as though he didn't know what the glare was for. He was arrogant, not _stupid_; he could tease Kai about being sweet with him later. Right now, he was not going to jeopardise his free breakfast by smirking and giving the game away.

"Of course, I'd much rather stay where it's all nice and warm, myself," Rei said. "I'm not as used to cold climates as you are," he pointed out. It was true – he was almost certain that the evil cold weather was affecting him more than Kai, first and foremost because he was part feline, and he just didn't _like_ the rain, but secondly because Kai had grown up in Russia, where "warm" meant "above freezing".

Rei knew that he would have survived going outside again. And he was pretty sure that Kai knew exactly what as going on, too. But as long as neither of them were willing to admit it…

He fought off a grin as Kai stalked past him towards a corner table – less due to romance or agoraphobia than to the paranoid little fact that Kai would prefer to keep his eyes on all of the exits – and instead smirked at his back.

He could see where this would lead, eventually. But after he'd gotten Kai to agree to paying, after he'd sat down and after he'd almost gotten the whole way through his breakfast, Kai stopped playing, the bastard.

"I know what you're doing, you know."

Apparently he'd been a little more self-aware than Rei had given him credit for. Either that, or Rei had been too transparent, and he _knew_ that wasn't possible. So Kai was just smarter than he'd thought. Which implied that, really, Kai would have to be pretty damn smart, since he'd had the benefit of the doubt from the start in that matter.

Having thought this in a matter of microseconds, Rei tried to address that statement. What was he supposed to say? _Sorry, I won't try to manipulate you through your insecurities again, I promise_… No, that didn't sound quite right. It sounded a little as though it might get him his arse handed to him, which was something he was determined to avoid at that moment.

"Do you?" he asked instead. There. A challenge. Kai wouldn't dare to leave it unanswered.

"You think I'm easily manipulated," he said with a smirk – a dangerous, awake sort of smirk that went peculiarly well with his red eyes. The sort of smirk that made Rei reconsider his opinion on the eyebrow-twitching to be Kai's most dangerous expression, because at least then all that would result was physical violence. This was the smirk of a man that _knew_ his hand was better than yours because he was _cheating_, the bastard, except you hadn't figured out _how_ yet.

In short, Rei was smart enough to realise that Kai had the upper hand (or, at least, thought he did) somehow, but he wasn't smart enough to have figured out how or why yet.

Which meant that he had to be careful, lest he get himself thoroughly humiliated, and, hell, wasn't it humiliating enough to know that Kai knew it? He took it back – Kai _did_ have something of wilful malice in him occasionally.

Swallowing, Rei smirked. "Aren't you?"

Kai shrugged, and his smirk got somehow more evil, more amused at Rei's expense. "Maybe so," he agreed. "But, then, so are you."

And suddenly, Rei had no idea what was going on anymore.

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Oh, dear. I quite like Kai, so I've been feeling rather unfair, disadvantaging him as I have in this text so far. As much as I'm the first person willing to admit that Kai's an irritatingly insecure brat… he's a _cute_ irritatingly insecure brat, and so I can't keep writing him with quite the same… lack of affection. While I promise not to indulge in all-out fangirlish "WAII! KAI-SAMA" behaviour, consider this a warning.

Also, I have decided that turnabout if fair play – maybe not from _Rei's_ perspective, but certainly from Kai's. If you like your Rei seme, then I'll have to apologise for the next few chapters, but, fear not, he'll be back to gleefully prodding at Kai's insecurities as soon as he gets his feet back under him… until Kai decides that he's had enough, of course.

And then… we'll see.

But, I think I'd like to request that, when (or if, depressingly enough) people review, they would be so kind as to put in whether they'd prefer Rei or Kai as… well, I don't want to say "seme" _per se_, because this is unlikely to descend into actual smut due to fanfiction(dot)net's guidelines, but "in control" of the relationship. Because I, personally, am a firm believer in all of Kai's relationships being, to one extent or another, about control.

Thanks for listening to my ranting again, guys:)


	5. Chapter 5

See first chapter for disclaimer.

Edits courtesy of Nedunque (I _hope _that's right) - thank you!.

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Rei had been significantly less hungry after Kai had so gleefully pulled the rug out from under him. They'd loitered for a while, but it had become too uncomfortable too quickly for Rei to bear.

He scooted his chair out and stood up in one smooth, very fast motion. Kai watched him with cool eyes, and, when the younger boy suggested that they leave and either continue training or go home, one eyebrow rose just a fraction of an inch.

"I thought you wanted to stay inside, in the warmth, because you felt the cold so much more than me?" he asked with a tiny smile – the faintest mocking curve to his lips – which Rei dearly wished to remove from his face.

He swallowed, staring down at Kai. The Exalted Team Leader was curled (and he looked relaxed, but Rei _knew_ it was a lie) into his chair in the corner, looking as innocent as he could – which, really, was not very innocent at all. Rather, he looked as though he didn't understand what would incite Rei to leave so quickly.

Rei glared, but took a moment to calm himself, sliding slowly back into his own chair. He tried to analyse Kai's expression, but Kai was not the sort of person who was easily read. Perhaps if he knew him better, Rei might have been able to understand what was going on behind those eyes, but he did not, and he could not, so he settled for covering his nervousness with an indifferent sort of composure.

Kai nodded in approval. Rei wasn't sure if he was being polite (for Kai) or mocking him again. Neither was entirely impossible. He glanced at the clock on the wall, wondering how Kai had managed to wake up so fast so early as to get him into this much trouble.

"Well?" Kai demanded.

Rei blinked. "Well, what?"

"Did you have a… purpose in mind?" Kai asked. His voice was low, husky. Rei wasn't sure if he was doing it on purpose or not. There was so much he wasn't sure of about Kai.

And how was he supposed to answer that? _I kind of wanted to find out what made you tick, you know? So I could use it against you in future_. Oh, yes. That would go down brilliantly.

"No," he lied. Kai's eyes blinked at him, slowly, eyelashes long and dark. They contrasted too much with his pale skin, Rei thought in annoyance.

How had they come to be leaning forward so close? Kai rested on his forearms, having at some time or other pushed the plate and cutlery to the side, and Rei was in a similar position, although less symmetrical, less accidentally–on-purpose _arranged_. From this distance, it would almost be more natural to touch than to stay as they were, nearly breathing each other's air, and still apart.

"Liar." Kai's breath was warm on his skin.

Rei licked his suddenly-dry lips, morbidly amused when Kai blinked slowly again, eyes following his tongue. He'd never really liked having eye-contact with Kai, anyway. He guessed too much.

"Prove it." It was the easy answer. It was another challenge, another piece of bait for the Much Exalted Team Leader to take. It was impossible to prove, of course, unless Kai was willing to have an in-depth discussion on his character, and Rei was willing to bet his bitbeast he was not.

"I can't," Kai said, sitting back finally, apparently disinterested.

Rei wanted to scream in frustration. He, also, sat back, although _flopped_ might have been more accurate. This was the most exhausting morning he'd had in a long time. Either Kai was going to play the game, or he was not. And if he was not, Rei could face his humiliation like a man and all would be well again just as soon as his ego had recovered.

But how does one ask such a question? Rei liked to think himself a fairly straightforward person, even if his actions occasionally proved him otherwise. Since Kai had already admitted to knowing what was going on, he wouldn't be able to sidestep the actual question without looking incredible imperceptive and unintelligent, so there was really nothing to lose by simply _asking_.

Rei levelled a second-degree glare at him. It was not at all like Kai's own second-degree glare, which was more or less an upgraded version of his "leave-me-alone-I-don't-want-to-listen-to-your-_inanity­_" scowl, but rather a heated, angry, "I'm-about-to-do-you-some-serious-damage-any-last-words" sort of glare. It got Kai's attention, but Rei suspected that it had become less potent due to infrequent use. He'd remedy that soon enough.

"Are we going to do it like this, or _not_?"

Kai responded with that little raise of the eyebrow again. Rei was beginning to hate that little movement – it was irritating and supercilious and he wanted to take some hot wax to it when Kai was asleep, except maybe that wouldn't be a very good idea, because Kai might wake up and _eat him_, at which point it would be almost worthwhile because he'd be _in his mouth _and –

- And… oh.

Oh, dear.

_Oh, dear_, did not really express the depth of Rei's feelings. It was most inadequate, but it was the only thing running through his head right at that moment.

So much so, in fact, that he didn't notice that evil little smile making its way back onto Kai's face again. It was wiped clean by the time he regathered his thoughts enough to pay any attention to the matter at hand. Kai's face was as expressionless as normal, cold and calm and indifferent.

"Bring it on," he said clearly and slowly, standing up and throwing a few coins down onto the tablecloth. He stalked past – too _close_ – and his scarf trailed like a whisper against Rei's cheek.

Well, just because he happened to find someone physically attractive did not mean that he could not fuck with his head, as it were. In fact, if history was to be consulted, it was positively conducive to the effort. And it was bound to make things more interesting.

Well, the stakes would be higher, anyway.

Rei stared at where Kai had been a moment before. "I'm either desperately trying to talk myself into this," he said, "or I'm a complete masochist."

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Well, I could be wrong, but I'm going for option B, masochist. But that's just because, hey, what other kind of person would voluntarily shovel Kai's emotional shit?

On a brighter note, I'm so, so pleased with the influx of reviews. Truly, they brighten my day – and, obviously, encourage me to write more. So, thank you to all that have reviewed. I appreciate it. And, of course, if you would like to discuss the controlling elements of this relationship with me, I'm always, always happy to read your opinions.

On an egotistical note, I love it how people seem to assume that I know exactly what I'm writing about. It's most amusing. :) But, seriously, if anybody wants to offer me an opinion, or a suggestion, _don't_ be shy. I don't have enough of my own!

Thanks,

Yasmyn


	6. Chapter 6

See first chapter for disclaimer.

Has not been proofread. If you find places that need editing, tell me, but I'm very lazy so I can't guarantee that they'll get edited.

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Rei wandered a little after that peculiar confrontation in an attempt to organize his brain. This attempt was not particularly successful, since he doubted its results from the very beginning.

The rain had slowed, at least, and even though he did not believe it possible for his clothing to become much wetter he appreciated the opportunity for them to dry a little.

When Kai had left the money for breakfast on the table and sashayed out of the bakery, Rei had been more than a little irritated to find that there had been _change_ left over, because the last thing he wanted to do in the near future was talk to Kai, and much less talk to Kai and bring up what would probably hereon in be referred to on as _That Morning_. If he left it for too long, however, it would make itself an enormity in his mind, hanging over his head like a guillotine on a fraying rope. This he knew from experience. He also knew that, should he follow his instincts and fail to face up to Kai… well, the repercussions did not bear thinking about.

For one, it would mean that he would be uncomfortable around him for practically forever, half expecting him to bring it up, full of crazy nervous energy and general discomfort. More to the point, however, it would mean that Kai would win the game without even _playing_ it. That was just _not_ acceptable. No way.

So, with the paltry excuse of a few coins clinking and weighing down his right hand and the firm resolution in his mind that he would find the Evil Team Leader, smile if it killed him and hand him his change without turning a hair, he set his feet on the Path of Righteousness, also occasionally known as The Road To Hell, with determination, confidence and the choking feeling in his gut that he was about to make a big, big mistake.

It was fortunate for our plotline, then, that that gut feeling had time to fade. The second he opened the door, the sound came out.

It was mostly Tyson's normal breakfast sounds, really, which were so very loud with the sounds of pots and pans banging and cutlery and crockery clanking on itself that he didn't pay very much attention to it, resolving to change his clothing, at least, before he should have to deal with Those Four, who, he reminded himself rather sardonically (being in a rather foul mood by this point in time, wet and tired and humiliated and running on tea instead of sleep), were Morning People (even if one of them was faking it), and thus The Enemy. The thought was only half-way to a joke.

On his way towards his room, however, he felt that something was wrong. He paused in the hallway, cocking his head to try and hear something amiss. This was, of course, when he heard it. Or, rather, he _didn't_ hear it, which was closer to the point. Turning, he made his way to the sliding door separating sleeping quarters from living quarters and peeked around its edge.

He blinked.

The kitchen was a _mess_. It looked like something had blown up, or _died_ or… he didn't even _know_ what that yellow stuff all over Max's _head_ – Oh. Woops. He coughed discreetly to himself and slid the door across a little.

This was when he actually _saw _it. Kai was going ballistic at Tyson.

This was not necessarily an unusual event. Not at all, really, since, even on the best of days the two liked to argue like two highly territorial cats sharing a sack that was quickly filling with water. But this was not Kai's normal _ballistic_, which, on the ratio of Kai glares, only ever merited a second-degree glare.

Rei could not hear the conversation at anything more than a dull murmur, since it seemed that the Evil (although currently Less Evil, due to the amusing fact that he seemed to have half an omelette on his shoulder and _anything_ that afforded Rei that much amusement could _hardly_ be Truly Evil) Team Leader had dragged Tyson into the backyard by the collar and slammed the door, but the expression on his face was at least a fourth-degree glare.

Tyson, far from looking indignant and self-righteous, looked ready to shit himself. Kai's voice was low and measured and very obviously only kept that way by sheer, painful, force of willpower.

Rei considered going out there to save Tyson, but then reconsidered. It might serve his purposes better to allow Kai to, er, finish up. Should it look like bloodshed, he was sure Max would step in. Yes. Max. A good idea, his rational brain informed him, suggesting quietly that he _hightail it_ out of there before anybody noticed him. Of course, his pride and general goodwill towards others refused to cooperate, if not in actually making him go out there and save Tyson, then at least by rooting him to the spot.

While Kai obviously had _some_ reason for going medieval, his reasons were not always fully accountable to the aggression with which they were answered. Rei suspected that Kai used many of these (all too frequent, really) moments as a release of the other pressures upon him. Considering that Rei had been about to confront the boy himself, and considering the circumstances under which that might have taken place, he felt that this was probably fantastic timing for some stress-relief.

Furthermore, he noticed, looking around the kitchen with distaste and not quite stopping a small, dismayed noise, Tyson probably deserved it this time. _Particularly_ if he was expected to help with the clean up effort. He turned to slip back through the doorway, except an egg-covered and rather _spiteful_ laptop asked sweetly, "Where are you going, Rei?"

He turned, giving her the evillest look he could muster (a third-degree – he hadn't had enough sleep for anything more).

"I'm going to change out of my wet clothes before I start cleaning." He couldn't help adding, in a fit of immaturity, "Was that a _problem_?" and slamming the door behind him.

He half-heard Dizzi's sulkily mumbled comment about what might have gotten into _him_, followed by her much more cheerful insinuation about what _hadn't _gotten into him, followed by Kenny's confused request to know what she was referring to.

Rei indulged in a brief fantasy about stealing her away and cleaning her hard drive of all doujinshi undoer the innocent excuse that Kenny was far, far too young to read about certain things.

Then he was hit by the blunt end of reality's mallet when he heard Tyson bemoaning the clean up effort and Kai's short, sharp snarl that was too low to really interpret. He assumed that it was about Imposing on the People that Pretend They're Not Your Friends.

Most of Kai's indignation led to one place (himself) but, since Kai rarely caused these minor disturbances on his own (although Rei was a little suspicious on how the VCR had been mysteriously converted to a toaster), Rei was _quite_ willing to overlook his flaws in favour of teaming up with him and making Tyson's entire _month_ HELL for this.

But then he remembered that he was a Good Guy, and was therefore supposed to be _defending _Tyson, who, while perhaps not always a Smart Guy, was certifiably more a Good Guy than Kai, and he changed clothes and rolled up his sleeves and went out to offer a helping hand. Kai's money was heavy in his mind, if not his pocket, and he was firm in his newfound belief that the Ambiguously Affiliated Anti-Heroes were better off. Lonely, maybe, but definitely not expected to clean up other people's messes.

He slid open the door. Kai was nowhere to be found (because he knew when _leaving_ was a good idea, did Kai). Max and Tyson were in the middle of an egg-fight. Rei swallowed his pulse, feeling his carefully-arranged smile start to crumble around the edges.

A muscle in his cheek began to twitch. He would not crack. This could not defeat him.

"… I'm going to take option B, masochist." He said firmly, straightening his spine and pushing all of those violent feelings down to his toes. He probably wouldn't have done this id he'd known that it would ensure that they were ready to resurface at the most inconvenientmoment conceivable.

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Ah, look. Foreshadowing.

Is "rooting him to the spot" a real figure of speech, or do I just have, uh, Something Else On My Mind? Because I wrote it first with, "nailing him to the spot" and then I was thinking, "Hang on, that doesn't look right…"

Yeah. I'm exhausted. Please comment on this chapter… I think what's left of my brain was sucked into it.


	7. Chapter 7

See chapter one fore disclaimer.

Once more, if you see places where edits are needed, tell me. Even if I'm too lazy to change it, it's good to know where I've gone wrong.

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"Wow, cleaning is hungry work!" Tyson laughed, scratching his neck with one hand. He flopped gracelessly into an armchair. Max nodded in agreement, shooting the other boy a _look_ from under his eyelashes. Rei knew that look.

"We should go find something to eat, then," Max grinned like a maniac. Tyson nodded very seriously.

"This is a good plan," he agreed. Both boys shot glances in the directions of Rei and Kenny.

"Are you two going to come?" the blonde demanded. It was a happy sort of demand, but Rei knew exactly what they wanted – or _didn't_ want.

"Ah, no, thanks," he responded dutifully. "I've already eaten," several hours ago, "and I think I'll finish mopping up here," he explained.

Kenny, nose buried in laptop and half-answering the occasional jibe or question from Dizzi, didn't even notice the other two. It was almost like a more annoying version of being alone, Rei thought blankly, giving the other boy a suspicious look.

"My shout, then," Max said – _most_ generously, all things considered – and bounced out of the room. Tyson, eyes clouded by love (in all probability more for the promise of food than for Max himself, however charming and generous the blonde might be), followed happily.

Rei ignored their willingness to leave him with the post-cleanup-cleanup; no matter how uncharitable he was feeling towards them at that moment, their lovey-dovey behavior, although occasionally irritating and decidedly cavity-inducing, never failed to lift his spirits – and it wasn't as though there was much work left to do, anyway. He mopped his last square of tiling (thanking all present deities for small mercies and flinching at the idea of carpeting out _here_), emptied the water and returned the mop and bucket to their homes. He returned to the kitchen to wash the plates and dishes that had been used – he was used to it, what with his previous work, and it was the kind of dull, mindless work that allowed him to think freely and without feeling as though he should really be doing something useful with his time.

His mind, then, was left to ponder his own problems. Those problems would all fall under the catch-all umbrella labeled Kai. He wondered absently if the art world had invented a colour wheel that held the possibility of a cold red before. Since the Much Exalted Evil Team Leader had run away at the first sign of actually having to do menial labor, an instinct that Rei was a little too jealous of to actively condemn, he didn't have anything immediate to worry about. Kai and he were stuck in some sort of competition – circumstances of his own making, of course – except that he wasn't quite sure what the competition actually was. _Kai_ certainly seemed to know exactly what was going on, but Kai was – well, Kai was _Kai_ – and he may well have merely been exhibiting his usual bravado.

Either way, Rei was sure that the rules were not clearly defined. He suspected that the objective was not to lose face (which put Kai ahead of him already, damn him). He also had the worrying feeling in his gut that there _were_ no rules, and that Kai was quite willing to play accordingly.

He wasn't sure how he was supposed to account for the fact that Kai had recently been having, well, a certain _affect_ on his composure that had little to do with rules and objectives and everything to do with sex, but he knew that it was going to be important in the game. He licked his lips. High stakes, then.

With a flourish of the dishrag, he put away the last plate just as a set of keys jangled in the doorway. He turned.

"…Kai."

"Correct." The other teen leaned against the doorjamb, that eyebrow raised just a fraction of an inch again, apparently waiting for him to say something worth listening to.

Condescending asshole. Rei dug through his pocket, trying to seem – well, not graceful, since Kai had a monopoly on that, but at least not graceless – and came up empty. Damnit. Where – oh.

"Wait. Hang on a second," he mumbled, dropping the dishrag on the bench and making his way to his room. Kai followed, perhaps out of curiosity.

Rei ignored him, sliding into the darkened room. It was probably a good thing that it was so dark, since the place was a mess. They'd evidently been there for too long. Kai picked his way through the mess on the floor, closing the door behind him.

Rei leaned down, scooped the coins off the top of the pair of pants he'd left on the floor after stripping them off earlier, and turned around to hand them to Kai. He was so close – how had he - ? – Why hadn't he heard - ? – He took a step back, tripping over a shoe and landing on the edge of the bed.

Great. Real graceful, Kon. "Um… here?" he said, shoving them at him.

Kai's eyes flickered to the coins in his hand. His face remained indifferent. "Rei," he said in that sickeningly sweet, mocking tone that Rei would soon learn to hate, "if you can't handle the game –"

Rei snarled at him, yellow eyes glinting frighteningly in the almost-light, forcing himself to stand up straight, right in front of Kai. The older teen didn't move back, standing his ground stubbornly, watching with cool eyes. Their knees almost touched. Kai had been drinking mint tea.

And suddenly Rei couldn't think of anything else, just the mint tea and the smell of his strange herbal shampoo – trust Kai not to buy a brand they could get from the drugstore, he _loved_ to make things difficult – and that strange, underlying smell of something spicy, something sharp and sweet that would make it hard to breathe if you breathed too deeply of it and _damnit_, that eyebrow was _raised_ at him again – what did he do? Bathe in _catnip_?

Rei glared evil unholy fury at him, drew himself upright and took a deep breath (wishing he hadn't, because damned if the whole freakin' room didn't suddenly smell like _Kai_). He shoved the change into his chest and stalked from the room, scooping up his towel on the way.

He was going to have a shower. A cold one.

Kai didn't bother turning his head as Rei left – not, of course, that the younger boy was actually looking – and the darker boy snarled, slamming the door with enough force that he heard one of his pictures fall from the dresser.

Great – just great.

The water was cold at first, but he turned it up hot when he felt that he was too damned drained to care about how ridiculously hot his team leader was. He pressed his forehead to the cool glass, feeling relaxed for the first time in twenty-four hours, closing his eyes against the steam.

"I don't have a crush on Kai."

Okay. That sounded _pathetic_.

"Alright. I _do_have a crush on Kai, but I'm not going to let him get to me. He's a brat and a pain in the arse and even if does have possibly the finest arse in the world himself…" he bashed his head against the glass. Not helping.

He took a deep breath.

And then, like a runaway freight train on fire, _inspiration_ hit.

"Oh, yes," he purred to himself, grinning at his reflection in the glass. He wiped it off his face, composing himself against the excitement bouncing insanely off the walls of his head. There were things he needed to certify first, and perhaps he'd need to chat to someone that knew Kai a little better…

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So, how do people feel about a Tala-on-the-phone cameo? A drunk, determined-that-Kai-should-be-happy (but not without suffering, of course) kind Tala-on-the-phone cameo?

Tell me (but don't forget to actually comment on the story, too), and I'll take the majority. Okay? Okay. I miss your reviews already, and it's only been, like… one day since I updated. Yes, I am a praise-hungry masochist. It's an amusing way to be. :)


	8. Chapter 8

And this praise-hungry masochist is back for more. I was trying to wait a couple of days before I wrote and posted again, but I caved. :sigh:

See first chapter for disclaimer.

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Rei re-wrapped his hair while it was wet, since it was more manageable that way and it was easier to get the bindings tight. More to the point, he knew that Kai hated it when he trailed water all over the tiles.

Since irritating him until he cried blood was the only thing that Rei felt he could do in the current situation (at least until he figured out how to put his other, most-amusing-if-he-was-correct plan into action), he did exactly that. Somehow, when Kai's glare scalded his skin, he felt elated rather than wary. He grinned to himself, using his bangs to hide the expression from the Much Exalted Team Leader.

He stepped out into the kitchen, hoping that, since Tyson and Max had gone out for lunch, there might actually be something to eat lying around.

The phone was ringing. Kai was sitting right next to it, absently twirling a pencil between three fingers like a baton, staring into space. Rei looked at him.

The phone continued to ring.

Kai continued to twirl and stare.

Was he the only person that understood the correlation between _**ringing** phone_ and _**answering** phone_? "Kai."

Kai grunted.

"You gonna get that?"

"No," he responded unhelpfully.

"…why not?" Rei had to ask.

Kai looked at him like he was stupid. "Because then I'd have to talk to _more_ idiots."

Rei wanted to scream. He stalked to the phone and snatched it from its cradle – cordless, thankfully – and stalked away, snarling, "_What_?" into the receiver, perhaps a tad ungraciously.

He stalked into the hallway, where Kai wouldn't be able to hear him if he wasn't too loud, leaning against the wall directly across from a decorative pot plant – the one that he'd been left to water the whole time they'd been there on account of his being the only one capable of actually understanding that it might need water to live.

There was a long, static-filled pause. "If this is a prank call," he growled, "I swear I'm going to track you down and –"

"Kon."

Russian accent – he'd had enough of the whole fucking _country_ right about then – but it made him pause.

"Yeah," he muttered.

"Thought it was Kai when you answered," the other person said by way of explanation. Rei glared at the pot plant. It shrivelled in on itself and wilted, hiding behind the protective ceramic of its pot. Damnit. The bastard was really rubbing off on him.

"…Is Hiwatari _there_, then?" the voice on the other end snapped impatiently.

"What?" Rei asked, disoriented, snapping back into reality.

"Is. Hiwatari. There? It's not a hard question."

"Who the hell is this, anyway?" Rei growled. Who called people up just to abuse them? Kai's friends, obviously. Maybe he'd be doing it next.

"Who – oh. Tala."

"…Ivanov?" Rei asked blankly.

The voice sounded tired suddenly, as though it was just sick of dealing with people. "Yes, Kon, _Ivanov_. Do you know _another_ one?"

"Well… no, but –"

"Kon. I'm looking for _Hiwatari_."

Rei glared at the pot plant again. Silly him, trying to revert to politeness. "He's not here," he growled, mostly out of spite, hoping it was something really _important _to the both of them.

"Oh. Well, could you take a message?" the tone was all sweetness and light suddenly, and Rei flinched away from the receiver at that sudden change.

"Um… sure. I mean, I guess so."

"Could you tell him to get _down_ here and _pick me up?_" the voice shrieked.

Rei sputtered. "Could I _what_?" Where _was_ he?

"You heard me," the other voice sulked angrily.

"I _heard _you, but where _are_ you?" Rei asked.

Tala growled. Rei blinked at the pot plant. It almost sounded like petulance. "Polition…" he mumbled.

"The huh?"

"I _said_, moron, the _Police Station_. Near your place."

Rei's eyes widened. If Tala had actually been present, he'd probably have taken a moment out of his self-indulgent funk to laugh at him. He ignored the small facts that he both knew where they were staying and was somehow right near them in favour of focusing on the most important part.

"Wh- _Why?_" he asked incredulously. Sure, he knew they weren't the _best_ guys, and they were a little creepy, but he hadn't thought…

"Because _Bryan_ had to go _assault_ someone in the street," he snapped. There was pure self-righteous _fury_ in that tone, and Rei was really, really glad that he wasn't Bryan. It made up for the saccharine noises from when he'd first wanted Rei to do something for him. There was a pause while Rei digested this. Well, he could certainly imagine it of Bryan… and at least the phrasing implied that _Tala_ was perfectly innocent…

"Look, are you going to pass on the message, or are you wasting my time?"

Rei frowned. Maybe he could use this situation to his advantage. Tala definitely knew Kai better than he did, right? "I'll go you one better; I'll pick you up myself. Where's the station?"

There was a long, long pause. "You have a license?"

"Yeah," he didn't really feel like explaining the process of getting his open license to him and so he glossed over it.

There was another pause. Rei could almost hear the gears turning in his head, the mixture of distaste at actually having to be in close proximity with him and having to stay at the station until Kai got his message – which, Rei had it on authority, could take _quite_ some time.

"Fine," he snapped. Rei heard the muffled sound of his voice asking someone the address, then a very distant reply. It was rattled off into his ear, and Rei had to ask him to repeat it, which he did, slowly and as though his age was a single digit number, so he could scrawl it on his arm with the gel pen he'd found wedged under Tyson and Max's door. It was pink and sparkly and smelt like raspberries. Rei was a little reluctant about using it on his bare skin.

"Alright," he said. "I'll be down soon."

Tala hung up without replying.

He scrambled up from his spot, having somehow slid down the wall during the conversation, and found some shoes, tugging them on before he slid the phone back into its cradle. Kai was still sitting next to it, glaring thoughtfully at the training schedule stuck to the fridge – mostly so Tyson couldn't claim he'd forgotten – and he didn't ask about the conversation.

While it was true the phone calls were never for Kai specifically unless it was the BBA – in which case caller ID was consulted and Rei left to deal with it – or really, really bad news, the majority of the rest being from Max's mother, Tyson's grandfather or the White Tigers to keep correspondence (and so that Mariah could complain directly about Rei's inability to answer letters within a month of them being received), Rei still felt the overwhelming desire to smirk up at him. He forced himself to maintain his countenance properly, ignoring the presence of the Much Exalted Team Leader as he picked up the keys to their car (hired by the BBA and considered communal, even though only he and Kai were old enough to drive it legally).

Really, he probably should have felt so damn elated about being able to run off and rescue _Tala_, of all people, but he was almost certain that he'd get some information out of it, at least. And that was something to be elated about.

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Okay – you have chapter eight.

If you don't mind, I'd love some feedback on how I characterized Tala. He _is_ a little, uh, tipsy, as Rei is about to find out, which is supposed to account for his initial willingness to call Kai for help and his apparent lack of decision-making skills as well as his friendliness, but it's been several years since I've seen Beyblade, and I can only vaguely remember him.

Oh, and I know that Ivanov is only used in the Japanese, but I can't for the life of me remember what he was in the dub. …Nor do I really care, since I'm of the opinion that it's an _incredibly_ cool surname. I wanted to use surnames as a means of making sure that the characters came across as distant towards each other… I _think_ it worked.

And now that I've written him this much, I'm finding it hard to resist throwing him in as a part of a very (_very_) prettyménage à trois, but I don't think I want to panic Rei too much. Or Kai, for that matter.

Thanks for reading,

- Yasi


	9. Chapter 9

I think this chapter's a little longer than usual, and, to account for that, it probably has more errors. If you find something that needs editing, tell me.

See chapter one for disclaimer.

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When Rei saw Tala sitting on the steps of the station huddled against the pouring rain with only a backpack, looking very small and harmless, something in his (admittedly overlarge) heart went out to the older boy.

When he got a little closer and Tala looked up, Rei saw harsh blue eyes sparking with recognition, and a one-twenty proof bottle of absinthe, half-empty, clutched protectively to his stomach and something in his head told him to keep on driving right past because he was _sure_ this couldn't go well.

But Tala had seen him, he thought, and he also seemed to know where they were living, and, besides, it was not as though he could just chicken out because the guy he wanted to pump for information was less than sober. He glanced nervously at the bottle as he pulled up. Had he had _all_ of that?

If he had, then he certainly seemed to have the constitution for it. He stood and stretched and made his way over to the car with barely a weave and nothing like a stumble. His red hair was wet – drooping, sort of, which was most amusing – and his clothes were soaked. He was still in the orange, white and blue getup he'd always worn – some things, Rei noticed, don't change, no matter how much they should – which, despite its being comprised of some of the ugliest shades known to man, actually looked quite good on him.

He tugged on the handle of the passenger side door and raised an eyebrow when it didn't open. Rei leant over and unlocked it for him. Tala made an irritated little noise in his throat and slid into the front seat. He stretched as far as the car would allow, then leant back with a soft groan, stretching out his shoulders. Rei concentrated on the road, pulling away from the curb.

Tala slammed his sneakers on the dashboard with a wet _slap_ that made Rei jump and startle. He glared at him from one yellow eye, taking a deep, calming breath.

Tala laughed. Rei had had a bad enough day already. He wanted to _throttle_ the irritating little… he took a deep breath and consciously loosened his grip on the steering wheel.

"How much of that have you had?" he asked, a little snappishly.

"What, no hello?" Tala asked, balancing the bottle between his knees and running the fingers of one hand around the edge of the opening idly. Rei glanced at him, allowing his eyes to rest briefly on the fingers, long and pale and surprisingly dextrous considering the amount of alcohol he might have had.

"Alright," Rei said tightly. "Hello. Where did you come from? Why are you here? How did you get arrested? How do you know where we are? Is Kai –" Rei cut himself off.

"Is Kai… what?" Tala asked, eyes narrowed.

"Nothing. How about you answer the other questions first. Where am I driving, anyway?"

"Back to your place," Tala said blandly. "We flew in from Russia this morning for the exhibition match. We know where you are because we are part of a BBA sanctioned team, and they felt it would be best if we… kept in contact." He looked as though he were trying to decide between scoffing and laughing at Rei's expression.

"After the blowout with Voltaire," and his voice was neutral, so carefully neutral, "there's been a sort of new wave in the way they're managing things, where inter-team, inter-department and international trust is _all_ the rage," he waved his bottle negligently, almost braining Rei in the process "so they're trying to build bridges where there were none beforehand and make sure that everybody who needs a hug gets one," he snorted in utter disdain " – it's all very inconvenient for _me_ of course, because I want to stay in the old wave, where I belong."

"And this has something to do with you staying with _us_?"

"Oh, that was that bit about building bridges where there were none. The bleeding hearts at the BBA want to, heh," and here Tala broke off into a fit of something resembling giggles, which just scared the ever-loving _shit_ out of Rei "_rehabilitate_ the poor Demo- Dem. Um. Us."

Rei took it back. The guy was _trashed_. "I see," he said. Rei had dealt with his share of psychopaths, and the procedure went like this: nod, smile, agree and _dodge_.

"So I'm staying with you. Because the Bladebreakers are just _so_ perfect."

Rei bit back the urge to turn and ask, _Bitter much_? He was tired. He wasn't dealing with this, not when he had a perfectly serviceable Exulted Team Leader at home whose responsibility it surely was. "Okay. Whatever. You'd better be the one telling Kai, though," he mumbled.

Tala didn't reply. Not to that, at least. "So us, we're stuck being passed around from psychoanalyst to psychoanalyst so they can see how badly our time at the Abbey fucked us up," he didn't even flinch when he said "Abbey," which made Rei think that maybe talking about problems really did help you get over them, since Kai wouldn't even tolerate a mention of the place in conversation. "And – well, I suppose nobody over here'd be interested, so you didn't see it – the journalists got a hold of _Bryan_'s profile – of all people, Bryan – and splashed it all over the papers and tabloids so everybody in Russia's terrified that everyone of us is ready to snap and go _medieval_ on them, which means that I get forced to listen to more touchy-feely crap from _more_ councillors, and – hey, why am I telling you this?"

"I have no idea," Rei said neutrally, privately thinking that Tala just really, really liked the sound of his own voice.

"Oh. Okay. Well, anyway, bottom line is, I'm sick of being treated like some bizarre social anomaly," and Rei bit his tongue to stop from jumping in with, _you **are**__dickhead!_ There was a pause while Tala collected his thoughts, and Rei prepared for another onslaught of self-indulgent ranting. "Oh, yeah," Tala said finally. "The BBA is stupid."

Rei wanted a metal post to bash his head against. Why? Was he just _flypaper_ for _freaks_?

Resurrecting his composure Rei nodded, glancing over to Tala to watch his expression while the lights were still red. His eyes flicked over – if he didn't know better, he would swear they were contacts; _nobody_ had eyes that blue – to Rei, then back to the drink in his hand. He raised it and nodded at the same time, a mock salute, then tipped it slowly, allowing the light from the cloudy sky to flicker teasingly over the curve of the bottle and touched it to his lips.

His wet skin looked sickly in the rain, but kind of lovely, too, in a translucent, glowing kind of way that shadowed his eyes. On anybody else it might have made them look vulnerable, weak. Tala just looked like he was hiding something. His throat moved when he swallowed. And he was swallowing a lot. Rei wondered if binge-drinking was a survival mechanism, then threw the thought away. He wasn't about to feel sympathetic for him. If Tala wanted to be pathetic, power to him.

Behind him, someone was blasting his or her horn. There was a shout that Rei was glad he couldn't decipher.

"Watch the road, moron," the redhead said, more condescending and amused than really irritated, although his voice was kind of croaky – husky, really – from the alcohol burn, so it would have been hard to tell. Rei turned his eyes back to the street.

The drove on in silence for a long, long moment.

"What did you want to know about Hiwatari?" Tala asked. There was a short pause. "Uh-huh. Well, Kon, this is your only chance, 'cuz I'm feeling generous, and that doesn't happen every year." Rei glared at the car in front of them. The drunken asshole really did like the sound of his own voice. He was _sure_ he didn't talk this much when he was sober.

"Kon. I'm _talking_ to you," Tala growled. He had the tone of someone who expected to be answered.

"I can hear that," Rei said pleasantly.

"Are you going to answer?"

"Listen… Ivanov…" Rei trailed off, trying to gather his thoughts into relative coherence.

"Brilliant. I wouldn't have known it if you hadn't told me, _genius_."

Rei gritted his teeth. "Is Kai gay?" he asked finally, giving up on relative coherence.

Tala's eyebrows almost lifted off his forehead. "We-ell. I guess I know why you weren't so happy asking, huh?" he said with a smirk. "Not strictly. But, yeah, he's been known to go both ways. More than known, actually," he added with a tipsy snicker that Rei didn't even want to try to decipher.

Abruptly, the icy blue eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Curiosity, really," Rei said smoothly, mentally scheming for all he was worth.

"Curiosity?" Tala scoffed. "Sure, Kon. _Sure._" His hair was starting to look less droopy as they pulled into the driveway, but it was sure to get a soaking on the way to the door. He slid out of the seat when Rei stopped the engine, swaying a little, stretching his limbs out and clutching his bottle tightly so it wouldn't fall and shatter. He slung his threadbare backpack onto his shoulder, sending Rei a tipsy grin.

"I'll go tell him the good news, shall I?" he said with glittering blue eyes.

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Okay. Here's the truth: this wasn't planned. It was just how it turned out. Tala just sort of… popped in and stayed. I hope you guys don't mind how talkative he is when he's drunk. He'll be back to normal soon.

Feedback is loved.


	10. Chapter 10

See first chapter for disclaimer.

A longer chapter than usual (I think), so there's probably more errors than usual. If or when you find them, point them out to me and I'll get around to changing them at some point.

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Kai was leaning against the wall and glaring at Max and Tyson's sickening display of affection when Tala swept (weaved) through the door. He'd tossed his backpack at Rei negligently as he'd crossed the threshold and the other boy was considering tossing it outside into the rain.

His better self won out, however, along with his morbid curiosity, and he reluctantly hefted it onto his shoulder and followed the redhead, who seemed hell-bent on suicide. At least, Rei assumed so, because he was going about it the right way, what with volunteering to butt heads with Kai – and in public, where his pride was at stake, as well.

Instead of offering him a sarcastic comment or a loud declaration, Tala leaned precariously against the back of the chair opposite Kai's wall, also turning his gaze deeper into the house to blink curiously at the happy couple.

"That is kind of disgusting," he said conversationally.

Kai didn't look at him. "What do you want?" he said evenly, risking a fourth-degree glare at Rei. It almost flayed his skin, but he stood firm in the face of it, shrugging innocently.

"Aw, what, no tearful reunion?"

Kai didn't answer. It took a while, but he finally turned his gaze on Tala. The redhead's condescending smile widened. He lifted his ever-present bottle to his lips again.

"Ivanov."

"Correct."

"Talk."

Tala smirked. "I'm staying here for a while," he said seriously. "As much as I'd rather not room with you or any of your pathetic brats, the BBA has decided that it is time for us poor Demolition Boys to be rehabilitated." His smirk got wider and wider as Kai's scowl got darker and darker.

"And who decided this?" Kai asked challengingly.

"Unanimous vote," Tala said, lifting his bottle up to the light to see how much was left in it. There was enough to get him unconscious, Rei thought from his position leaning against the bench. It was the perfect position, affording him both a good view of the proceedings and acting as an obstacle between himself and Kai, should he feel that this was somehow Rei's fault.

"So they decided to split you up and send you to different corners of the world."

Rei was undecided as to whether he should be awed or amused at how much scorn and doubt Kai could put into his tone on such short notice. Mostly, however, he was busy noticing that he'd taken off the jacket and reverted to the messy, too-big tanktop again. Rei was quite sure that, if Kai knew how delightfully disheveled it made him look, he would immediately cease to wear it.

"Not really," Tala said uncommunicatively.

Kai was patient. He could wait.

Rei sighed aloud. With Kai and Tala, this staring match could probably take a while. But then, Tala seemed to delight in making people uncomfortable. It leaned more towards irritating and annoying than supercilious and mean when he was drunk.

Minutes passed slowly. Tyson seemed to realize that there were no redheads on the Bladebreakers.

"Hey! What are _you_ doing here?" he demanded, jumping up. Max blinked, also looking their way inquiringly.

Since Tala seemed to have figured out that the best way to get to Tyson was to ignore him, Rei decided that he would answer that. He weaved through furniture and frozen team leaders to get to Max and Tyson, pretending that Kai's look didn't leave ice-burns in its wake.

He tugged both of the other bladers behind a corner so that the other two could deal with their various interpersonal issues, and so Tala didn't have an audience to play Kai off against.

No matter what sort of humiliation it might cause Kai, Rei didn't think he wanted to get caught up in _that_ this early in the game, and he had the feeling that Tala's ability to screw with people did not lessen with alcohol.

Tyson was staring at him expectantly. Rei wondered briefly where Kenny had gone. He glanced over at Max, who seemed to have been fed a little too much sugar today.

"It looks as though the BBA wants him to stay with us for a while, to, you know, learn what it's like with a normal team. They had a rough time of it at Bolkov Abbey and all, so…" Rei trailed off, allowing them to fill in the blnks. It was easier to deal with Tyson and Max, he decided, when both of them immediately saw it the way he'd wanted them to.

Tyson, self-righteous and inconsiderate at the best of times, was nonetheless a sympathetic creature, always ready to think well of the underdog. Max was just intrinsically sweet-natured. As such, both of them immediately decided to accept poor, abused little Tala into their big, loving family.

"Well, we're a pretty cool group, as long as you ignore Kai, so he should have no trouble fitting in!" Tyson said. Max looked as though he'd been given a brand new toy. Or an injection of sugar to the brain. Either way, he was… bouncing. The two eyed each other, and the Chinese blader had the feeling that Tala was in for a rough stay, filled with attempts to get him to open up and share his trauma.

Rei, by this point in time having gotten sick of screwing things up for himself and way, way too tired to care about Tala now, having gotten his answer, ignored what looked like mutating into a fully-fledged pet project involving the unsuspecting redhead and continued talking.

"Of course," he said a little cynically (because, whether he liked it or not, some of Kai's personality had to have rubbed off), "we still need to call the BBA and confirm that he's not –"

"He's not lying."

All three boys jumped, much to Kai's apparent amusement. The smirk on his face faded a little as his eyes fell on Rei, who gave him a sweet smile.

Kai sighed. "I called the BBA. Bryan was…" he smirked, "detained, so it's just Tala."

"Where is he now?" Max asked, eyes glittering oddly.

Kai gave him a strange look, but responded, "Rei's room."

"What?" Rei asked, feeling sudden panic seep into his gut.

"Your room," Kai's eyes, mocking and evil and _so totally dead_, rested on him.

"_Why?_" Rei snarled.

Kai shrugged, turning and beginning to walk away. He'd found his scarf, and it swished behind him like a cat's tail. "Well, you certainly seemed excited to see him, running down to pick him up and the like. I just assumed…" Kai smirked over his shoulder, and Rei felt his blood boil as he watched him slide the screen door open and slip outside – no doubt to abuse the plain metal dish that was set up out there.

The only thing the bastard had _assumed_ was that the arrangement would cause problems for him.

Tyson and Max didn't seem to have noticed. "I wonder why Bryan was detained?" Max wondered curiously.

"Try _arrested_," Rei snapped, before stalking off, not even bothering to look behind him to see their reactions.

"I wonder what's gotten into _him_?" one of them asked.

Rei slammed the door to the room. He was starving, and, until that maniac got out of his bedroom, the kitchen beckoned.

Naturally, there was nothing in the fridge. Well, actually, there was a carrot with _property of Max _written on it in non-toxic blue marker pen, and a jar with a lone onion in the bottom, labeled, quite simply, _Kenny_.

Of course. The benefits of living with Tyson. There was _never_ anything to eat.

Well, there was that caramel ice cream in the freezer that neither Max nor Tyson had gotten into – how had that happened? Wondering what was _really_ in the box that would prompt either of them to leave it alone, Rei pulled it out, rolling his eyes when he read the "_Property of Kai, eat and face my wrath"_ marked on the lid in sharp, pointed, red writing.

Of course.

Property of Kai.

Eat and face his wrath.

_Excellent_.

Rei glowered as one extraordinarily pale hand reached over his shoulder and snatched up the box from his hands, foiling his evil scheme to steal Kai's ice cream. Since the hand failed to shrivel and die from the force of his displeasure, he knew exactly who to expect when he turned around.

Kai was sitting on the bench, eating ice cream. Of course.

Rei glared at him, a third degree glare that promised pain. Kai bore it with ease. Rei slammed the door of the freezer closed and stalked to the pantry, snatching up a can of tuna (another item that neither Tyson nor Max would dare touch, although Rei felt superior knowing that at least _he_ didn't have to put melodramatic threats on his food). He leant against the ledge of the stove (state-of-the-art, stainless steal, smelling faintly of cleaning product and egg from that morning) and opened his tuna can, angry yellow locked on supercilious red.

He cut himself on the lid of the can.

Kai snorted into his ice cream.

Rei tossed the bloodied lid into the bin without looking (and thank whichever deity was currently listening that he didn't miss, because he didn't think he could bear that humiliation, too), set his full can of tuna aside and brought his hand up to his mouth, licking the blood from his skin.

Kai stared at him for a moment. Rei pretended not to feel the weight of his gaze on his skin, despite the fact that it made him shiver. He brought his head up from his thumb when he "realized" that Kai was watching him, making sure that his lower lip was shiny and a little darker with saliva and blood.

Kai got up without looking at Rei, opened the freezer without looking at Rei, slid the ice cream back in, and, without glancing at Rei over his shoulder, fled the room.

It left Rei with no doubts. He smirked.

For the first time since the sun had risen, he felt well and truly in control.

--------------------------------

Okay, guys. It's probably got a bit of OOC-ness in it, since Kai seems too out of it to be particularly snappy with Tyson early on there. Sorry.

If anybody wants to make suggestions, I'd be quite happy to listen – that doesn't mean that I'll necessarily use it, though. Constructive criticism is useful, as are rants on characterization.

- Yasmyn


	11. Chapter 11

See first chapter for disclaimer.

Probably lots'a edits needed, tell me when you find them. School's been driving me crazy, so I haven't updated in a while. Sorry.

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By the time night had fallen, Tala was rethinking his opinion on staying with the Bladebreakers as he munched on some caramel ice-cream, lounging on the floor of Rei's room – which had somehow miraculously manifested a second, squashy, little bed in the far corner. He'd decided that it was way, _way_ more amusing than he'd originally anticipated.

Never before had he seen Kai so freaked out and edgy.

And, fuck, it was _funny_.

He'd observed him strung wire-tight and stalking around in a foul mood (only discernable from his normal state of being if one knew his personality very well) all afternoon – partially due to his arrival, Tala surmised, although he hadn't realized that having Rei come to pick him up would add an extra layer of sweet thickness to the knife-edge tension at the time he'd agreed to it, but he certainly liked the little cat–boy's style.

Pity he was such a self-assured, arrogant little fuck.

The bottle of absinthe glittered green in the wan lamplight from across the room. He reached for it, pausing to tug at the sleeve of his top – he might have been better off changing out of his wet clothing, considering the temperature, but he couldn't bring himself to care that much – but then he hesitated. Surely he'd already had way, way too much?

Ataxia ensured that he couldn't stand without staggering – actually, he wasn't sure if he could stand without _crawling_ right then. Dying of alcohol poisoning wasn't exactly high on his list of things to do, although it was pretty high on the list of ways he'd probably die.

He blinked hazily at the bottle, which seemed to have been glowing softly in the lamplight. He snorted derisively at his own clumsy thoughts and snatched it from the floor. It took him two tries to actually grab it, and by then the room was spinning again.

Then he leant against the wall again, trying to breathe properly – for some reason or other, he was breathing below what he thought he should have been. Well, whatever. He'd survive.

He was getting kind of bored, actually.

Bored.

Bored, bored, bored, bored.

He staggered to his feet, laughing a little hysterically as the room swam and spun. Time to leave!

Whoa, that was some tricky door handle… you had to, like, turn _and_ push, all at the same time. His fingers scrambled against the wood as he tipped forward when it finally swung outwards.

Kai glanced up from a magazine as he staggered in roughly the direction of the door. He rolled his eyes and turned back to his copy of _Now Sport_ – the Beyblading edition – scoffing quietly at their poor interpretations and explanations.

Rei, lying stretched out on the floor at his feet, leaning on one elbow as he flipped through an old copy of _The Prince and The Discourses_, making sure his figure was presented in the best possible light and showing off long, clean lines and perfect flesh, blinked up at Kai as the redhead made his way (slowly) past.

"Will he be okay?" he asked. He hated to sound worried about someone who should probably have been Kai's responsibility, but he _was_. The guy could barely stand.

Kai didn't look back up. He made a derisive noise in the back of his throat, turning a page, and sneered. "What difference does it make? Better for us if passes out and drowns himself in a puddle."

His eyes, cool and dark and perfectly neutral, the same kind of way a tiger's were when it was deciding if you'd taste good enough to bother running down – Rei had seen it before, didn't like it then, and found it unbearably attractive now. He looked back down to his own book quickly. "Unless you want to follow him, of course," the older boy said coolly.

Ah, a test. Despite what it had seemed like in practice, if Tala was anybody's friend, he was Kai's. He was _Kai's_ responsibility to look after. Would Rei go out and make sure the cocky little shit didn't hurt himself – take on one of _Kai's_ responsibilities?

Even if it would have been purely because he was a good person, the implications of it weren't good, and Rei had a little too much pride to go around admitting to things like that.

It would be so much easier if he weren't playing these strained, stiff and overtly sexual dominance games with such a total _asshole_.

This, however, he supposed, was the beauty of playing with Kai. Nothing was sacred.

He shrugged. "Why should I?" he asked indifferently, flicking his hair over his expression. Kai made a half-noise of assent – even pride? – in the back of his throat, returning to his magazine.

Shit – what, was the Much Exalted Team Asshole just trying to turn him into a more confused version of himself? And worse yet, was he actually succeeding?

When Kai threw the magazine down in disgust and left for bed, leaving Rei in the little pool of light on the hard floor, Rei had to admit to feeling kind of alone.

--------------------------------

He was choking – _fuck_, he was _chok_ – "Wha – shiit… K- Kai – ow, ow, stop fuckin' kickin' me!"

"Oh, good. You're awake." The hand gripping the back of his clothes dropped him back on the icy ground. Not too bad really, Tala thought. Not as cold as the dirt at home around this time of the year.

The rain was making hard noises as it hit the ground near his head, fat drops splashing onto his skin. He could see one of his hands, pale and beginning to darken with cold. Looked like something a few hours dead in this light.

Tala rolled over, squinting blearily – god, did the sky _have_ to be so goddamn bright in false dawn? – at the figure looming over him. Kai looked kind of demonic at this angle.

He took a deep breath – bloody _hell_, would the world stop _spinning_ for just one freaking _second_? – and leveled an evil glare at the Exulted Leader of the Bladebreakers.

It was a piss-poor glare, but Kai was evidently feeling fuzzy enough to either overlook the fact that he was the object of a glare at all, or polite enough not to mention it. Given the fact that it looked to be morning, and given Kai's general response to mornings (well known and understood by the members of the Demolition Boys that were even twenty-percent sane), he was betting on the former.

"I can't believe you _actually_ almost managed to drown yourself in a puddle." Kai broke the silence.

Tala took that moment to notice that he was, indeed, lying in a puddle. In the middle of a park. He caught the gleam of broken glass somewhere off to his left.

He could deny it, make himself look like a total idiot and as though he actually cared what Kai thought of him, but he didn't bother. Why should he? Instead, he made a non-committal grunting noise and shrugged.

"Dipshit," Kai responded promptly. If Tala hadn't felt like there was a very hairy, very large centipede crawling around in his mouth, he might have made some comment about Kai's witty repartee having improved since they'd last had a semi-civil conversation, but he did, so he didn't. He just made a scoffing sound and tried to stand, ignoring Kai's reluctantly proffered hand.

"Yeah, thanks, whatever," he mumbled. Finally, he looked up and, with all the strength he had left, sneered right into Hiwatari's face. "I owe you one, now, I suppose."

"Yes." Kai said as he made it to his feet, disgustedly wringing water – brown, murky, ugly water – from his hair. "You do."

And he turned and left.

Tala looked down at his own shaking (a little numb, hard to move the fingers) hands for a moment before glancing back up at Kai's ridiculous scarf trailing his stupid blue head. His expression twisted.

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When angst reigns, it pours.

Mmkay. I was a little heavy on the negativity in that one, maybe, but I wanted to get my point across… which you will find out about later. Next chapter will (hopefully, although you never really know) centre back on Rei and Kai.

When I get around to posting again. School makes these things so hard.

Yeah, okay, whatever. I'm just lazy. Tell me about my typos, comments and criticism appreciated and all the rest.

- Yasi


	12. Chapter 12

See first chapter for disclaimer.

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Rei was sitting at the table when Kai returned that morning. Sitting might have been a bit of an overstatement. More accurately, Rei was folded into a chair with his cheek against the cold wood of the table (it still smelt faintly of egg), blinking hazily and zoning in and out of arguable consciousness every few minutes.

He'd been up late the night before, and, while Kai could survive on less then five hours sleep, he couldn't. More to the point, Tyson had leapt upon him before the sun had properly lighted the sky that morning and begun to rattle off questions about where Kai was, where Tala was, and why they weren't up and training yet. Max, with a slightly better sense of decorum than Tyson (although by no means actually decorous), had waited by the door, grinning sheepishly and looking fondly upon Tyson's antics.

Why hadn't he learnt to keep his _dangerous animal_ on a _leash_ yet?

Rei had fielded the questions with very little mental dexterity or tact and quite a bit of callous disregard for commonly accepted social norms – he didn't know, possibly drowned in a puddle, because Kai wasn't there to pretend to be a superior asshole and force them into it – and headed into the kitchen to cook. He wasn't about to let Tyson or Max do it this time. Not a chance.

Despite being sleep-deprived and in his morning state of exanimation, he managed an edible, if uninspired, meal with enough food that Tyson didn't complain for more than an hour after it was eaten. He also devised a grocery list, seeing as they were completely out of rice, eggs, vegetables and several other staples – like that caramel chocolate that Kai pretended he didn't really care for, despite being protective and possessive of it at all times and occasionally coming to blows with Tyson in its defense. Kai could not _care_ about anything like that; it would be like having feelings.

He pinned this to the empty fridge and then thankfully soaked his cold fingers in hot water as he washed up the remnants of breakfast. By the time he'd finished this, it was only about eight, and Rei was quite happy to flop down into a seat at the table and rest his eyes for a moment or two.

This was when he heard Kai's keys in the lock. He could not force himself back up; the compulsion to just stay there was too strong. He wasn't interested in whatever sadistic thing Kai wanted to do to his head this morning. He felt the presence of Kai stop somewhere above his head. Briefly, the irrational urge to check if he had any large, potentially lethal weapons in his hands surged up in Rei's brain, but it brought none of the adrenalin it would sorely need to overcome his debilitating morning apraxia.

He thought Kai might say something mean and move on, potentially to train, or commune with Dranzer, or eat babies, or whatever it was that he did in his spare time, but he stayed there for a moment or two. Rei tried to keep his heart rate down, tried to keep his breathing regular. He fought off the urge to swallow.

An icy trail made its long way along his jaw line, tracing the bone almost to his ear before switching tactics and running carefully, gently, down his neck. Rei stayed very, very still, barely daring to breathe at all anymore.

There were more footsteps, and Kai seemed to snap out of whatever reverie had kept his attention at the interruption. He said nothing and made soft noises as he slipped out of the room. Rei breathed in relief and relaxed, wondering why he hadn't had the energy to sit up beforehand, when fight or flight _should_ have kicked in.

He opened his eyes just in time to see the drips of dirty water on the tiles when another, colder hand caught him by the jaw and jerked his head up. He flinched and blinked, not only at the intrusive jolt, but at the dead iciness of the skin. Tala's eyes, cold but thawing, cranky and tired but amused, caught his for a moment.

He did not smile, but Rei got the feeling he was being laughed at when the redhead leaned in and rasped, "Playing dead is for _bears_, Kon."

He frowned, and was about to question him about this strange statement, but Kai walked back through the door and looked at the two for a long moment. Tala's eyes glittered and he leaned forward a little more to make the pose even more suggestive.

One drop of dirty grey water dripped from his hair and hit Rei on the cheek. Rei blinked. "You're cleaning that up, Ivanov," he informed him. The tension broke, and Kai shook his head in exasperation and turned to make a beeline for the coffeemaker.

While he was occupied with that, Tala leant in even closer and whispered in Rei's ear, "Kai is a completely different animal, but if you need help…" he drew back and shrugged with an inviting look.

Rei blinked slowly at him. If he needed help, Tala would help him. His mind finished the qualifier implicit in the proposition without any help from Tala: _at a price._

"What's in it for you?" he asked softly.

Tala shrugged lazily. He looked like a complete mess, but he was obviously thinking straighter than he had been for quite some time if he was trying to take advantage of the situation. "Why don't we discuss that?" he suggested, baring his teeth.

Rei would have to have been stupid, very drunk and half blind to call it a smile. It was a warning; a deep, very serious warning that he was not the predator here. Not now, not ever.

He smiled in response, his usual cheerful grin.

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Wow, it's been a while, hasn't it? But I'm sick and tired, among other things, and severely overworked, so you'll all forgive me, I'm sure. Even if you don't I hope you still read this and review, because I live for reviews at the moment. : P

I've noticed that one or two of you have expressed concern at the obscurity here and there. I'm sorry about that, but it's really not integral to the story, so don't worry about it, ne? I'm sometimes using it to shove in references to a lot of different things, and I'm stealing from both Machiavelli and, don't shoot me, the Marquis deSade here – and anybody who can guess where or how gets a cookie.

Thanks!

Yasi


	13. Chapter 13

See first chapter for disclaimer.

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The room was dark because the blinds were drawn against the weak morning sunlight. Tala leant against the far wall with his cheek pressed against the cool wall. Despite his front, the hangover felt like a jackhammer making patterns on the inside of his skull.

Rei was sitting stiffly across from him, careful to make sure that there was nothing between himself and the door. Tala wondered at this. It was amusing, certainly, to watch him nervous and jumpy about this little game he had forced Kai into playing, but if he was one of the nice guys, he'd be delivering a reality check about now, because, Kon and his miniscule little brain had allowed this whole _affair_ to be blown out of proportion, double-entendre intended.

So it was probably a good thing that he wasn't one of the nice guys. For him, anyway.

He forced a hung-over kind of smile at Rei, which probably came out more as a mad, supercilious smirk. Rei shifted a little closer to the door like he was expecting Tala to leap up and attack him, foaming at the mouth like a rabid animal. Admittedly, the redhead didn't do much to discourage this. He had, however, decided to treat this seriously for the sake of his own amusement, so he'd have to stick to that.

He swallowed his smile and said, very seriously, "Kon, I don't want to alarm you, but you will require... assistance."

Rei shrugged as though it didn't really matter to him. Tala's eyes narrowed. The idiot wouldn't have been here if it didn't, so further pretence was only an irritant. Gods, the moron was so transparent. Rei might have had his moments of glorious control, but Kai must have been having a field day watching the emotions flit around behind those eyes.

"Of course," he said, changing tack at the speed of light from smirking superiority to shameless flattery, "your tactics are very good, given that you've managed to find the only way you could possibly have caught his attention," he said.

Rei nodded. It was oddly defensive, so Tala knew that they were finally on the same page – although, metaphorically speaking, he was probably reading over Rei's shoulder. "Of course," he added, almost as though it was an afterthought, although they both knew differently, "Now you've got his attention, you need to keep him long enough to convince him that fucking you wouldn't be a terrifying, bad, bad thing," he finished.

Rei flushed very, very red. "I – you – _what_?" he screeched.

_Now that I have your attention..._ Tala blinked. "Wasn't that the objective?"

"I – you – _no_!"

"Oh?" the redhead asked, raising one eyebrow. His head pounded. He was getting too old to be coaxing jumpy young boys into bed. It didn't matter that they were almost of an age chronologically; in comparison to himself and Kai, Rei was ignorant, naïve – barely out of the cradle.

His face remained blank, but he frowned inwardly and thought that perhaps he'd read the situation wrongly – but no, no he hadn't, no matter how fragmented his memory, or how drunk he'd been, Kai and Rei were... there was definitely something _going on_ there – definitely on Kai's side, because he'd _definitely_ had enough practise at reading that one to understand something as simple as this, and Rei was transparent at the best of times, and very much like reading a billboard at the worst.

That wasn't what Rei thought, though. Perhaps he'd have to wait... except that he'd go mad if he had to wait. Fuck. What to say? How to do this? If they got him alone, he'd either kill them or go _mad_.

"What were you trying to do, then?" he stalled, although the curiosity was real. What _else_ would have prompted him to challenge Kai and get _eaten_?

Rei blinked, then blushed harder. He scratched the back of his neck, sweating a little. A vaguely nervous grin broke across his face, flashing a fang. Tala raised an eyebrow. This was going to be good, he could tell.

"I, er... wanted to see if we could train later in the afternoon...?"

Tala couldn't bring himself to be particularly surprised. True, something in the logical part of his mind was giggling like a ditzy schoolgirl and thinking, "_the** huh**_?", but he just nodded, smiled, and said aloud, "Oh, of _course_."

Rei blushed yet _harder_ and glowered at him. His ears were practically glowing through his coarse hair. He mumbled something defensive and snarky that Tala didn't catch, but he didn't bother humiliating him further by asking. It would be counter-productive at this point.

"Alright then, Kon. If what you want is later practises, I can get them for you," he said, an idea sprouting in the dark recesses of his mind like a man-sized Venus flytrap. "_And,_ once you've given it some thought, I'll even help you bed Hiwatari-stick-up-the-arse-Kai... from a distance, of course," he smirked. "So why don't you give that some thought, while I go fix your other minor problem... as a show of, heh, _good faith_."

Rei blinked at him. His eyes were wide and golden. "What's the catch?"

Tala snorted and rolled his eyes. "Just keep Kinomiya and his pet away from me for now."

Rei furrowed his brow. "How the hell am I supposed to do that?" he asked.

Tala's eyes narrowed despite his pounding head. "I don't care. Distract them with something shiny."

Rei looked as though he was about to jump to the defence of his friends and team mates. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out – mostly because Tala was right about their attention spans. He closed his mouth with a snap and glared. Tala waited attentively. "I know you don't like them, and I know they can be a little immature and... overzealous... at times, but..." Rei trailed off.

The redhead raised an eyebrow and lifted his chin a little. "Can't think of a nice way to end that one?" he asked snidely.

Rei's eyes narrowed in anger. "I was _going _to say, "but they're really good people", but that's not really something someone like _you_ would value, is it?"

Tala shrugged, mildly amused by the remark so obviously intended to sting, but diplomatic enough not to show it. "I value good people," he corrected. "I think that they have to be chronically unintelligent and completely lacking in an instinct for self-preservation, but the world does need the bleeding hearts, I'm sure. I haven't quite figured out _why_, yet, but I'll let you know when I do."

So diplomacy was not one of Tala's strengths.

"Oh, yes," Rei snapped. "Because you have _such_ an overdeveloped sense of self-preservation, don't you?"

Tala thought frantically for a moment, wondering if Kai had somehow told the little shit that he'd almost killed himself on a puddle that morning, but he was almost certain that he hadn't had the chance. His projected image intact, Tala scoffed. "More than you, my friend – obviously."

Rei snarled.

Tala stood, discretely using the wall for balance. "I'm going to find Kai. We'll talk about training. My offer is still open." He shot Rei a lopsided sort of grin. Walking past, he paused and said, "By the way, you have caramel on your face. Have you been eating that ice-cream?" he asked innocently, and was gone.

Rei touched his jaw, blinking. Indeed, there was a trail of caramel there. He concentrated for a moment, thinking. Kai had left _ice-cream_ on his face?

Outside, Tala leant against the wall, rubbed his eyes and swallowed. His throat felt as though it was carpeted. "Ivanov, you idiot," he mumbled to himself, "This has _got_ to stop."

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Yes! My brain imploded, and I decided to use Kai's do-not-touch caramel ice cream. Sure, I could have used the blood, or hair, or something else, but... I'm hungry. :P

And it's Friday, and I have a SAC on Tuesday, so this is the last you'll hear from me this weekend.

Love

Yasi


	14. Chapter 14

See first chapter for disclaimer.

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Kai was to be found outside, leaning on the edge of the massive practice bowl and brooding into its depths with distant eyes. The fact that he was looking directly into the reflected sunlight didn't seem to bother him much.

Tala was silent as a cat when he snuck up behind him, bare feet carefully pressed to clear spaces, sliding noiselessly across the cold cement. His head still ached and his eyes felt dry and tired, but there was nothing like baiting Kai to cheer him up a bit.

He leaned forward, careful not to throw himself off balance, and whispered hoarsely, "That's going to give you wrinkles, you know," into the shell of Hiwatari's ear.

Kai, who was obviously not quite as deep in thought as Tala had originally suspected, did not seem to be very surprised. "Ivanov," he said, somehow making that one word very malicious. "What do you want?" he asked without turning around.

"Shouldn't you be training the kiddies right about now?" he said. It wasn't really an answer, but actually telling Hiwatari that he wanted something would be the best way to see that he _didn't_ get what he wanted.

"No. We'll train in the afternoons." Kai's response was flat.

Tala hid a tiny smile by lifting his hand to his temple in a show of rubbing the ache. Water, he needed water. "That's a dumb idea. You finally got those idiots into a routine, and now you want to change it?" he asked, voice thick with scorn.

Kai shrugged and swept past Tala to return to the warmth of indoors. Tala resisted the urge to grab his scarf and watch him jerk backwards onto his arse on the cold cement. He did, however, indulge in the brief fantasy of it.

"If they can't adjust to a new training schedule, they don't deserve to be on the team," he said, pausing at the threshold.

The sliding door snapped shut behind him. Tala allowed himself a brief, congratulatory smirk. If he'd been wavering over that decision, he wasn't any more.

He had no further business outside, so he followed Hiwatari inside, ignoring his broody presence at the coffee machine in favour of pouring himself many successive glasses of water. Hopefully by the time the moody bastard decided to torture them with training exercises, he'd have imbibed enough water that the dehydration headaches wouldn't mean he didn't win at least his half of the practice matches.

And, oh, yes. He would have to go tell the kitten that he'd succeeded in moving the practices to afternoon. With any luck, the (cute) moron would think he had magical abilities or something.

This thought made him smirk, which prompted Kai to ask what the hell was so funny, which moved them to settle into comfortable bickering so fierce that even Kinomiya feared to enter and retrieve his mid-morning snack. Despite the hangover, Tala felt that it was a fairly good start to the day.

Rei, on the other hand, was wondering what the hell was going on. He'd decided to think about it while he showered, because it was the only place in the house he could be assured of his privacy, and even then, there had been that incident when Tyson had thought it was Max amidst the steam…

He steered his mind away from those frightening thoughts and tried to think. He'd started this… _game_… with Kai, in an attempt to get later training sessions. That somehow didn't sound right. Had he really decided to try and manipulate Kai into something like that, when talking with Max, Tyson and Kenny was certain to lead to the pleading and yelling and bickering that would, very eventually, result in Kai's capitulation to majority rule?

Since that would have been the far more logical route, he had to assume that he had ulterior motives that even _he_ hadn't known about. Did this mean, as Ivanov seemed to believe, that _he_, Rei Kon, had the hots for _Kai_?

He thought about it. Kai was attractive. The red eyes were a little freaky, but Rei couldn't really throw stones in that direction. The scarf was just strange, but it did seem to fit the arrogant asshole's superiority complex, flapping around like a cape all the time. Again, with his hair, Rei couldn't really say that having something that long weaving around one's legs was a dumb idea. And he did have a nice butt.

But then, there was that little catch. Kai was an arrogant asshole. Rei didn't really _like_ him. Oh, sure, they were team mates, and they'd been through _hell_ for each other, and would gladly do it again, but that didn't mean that Rei actually enjoyed Kai's company. Well. Sometimes, when they weren't talking, and it was a frost morning outside and Kai was brain-dead and sipping coffee and staring, with that cute little tank top he wore to bed that kept sliding off his shoulder…

Rei pressed his forehead to the steamed-up glass and closed his eyes.

Ivanov was right then.

He let his eyes slide open. "Time to face the music, Kon," he said aloud to himself, voice echoing off glass and tiles. "You are completely gone on Kai Hiwatari." He sighed, closing his eyes once more. "Now," he muttered. "What the hell are you going to do about it?" he asked himself.

He received only white-sounding static as a response. His brain seemed to have shorted out on that one.

Tala had offered….

No, Kon. Be strong. You have way, way more pride than that! He reminded himself, squeezing his eyes tighter.

Tyson was banging on the door, yelling at him to get out.

"Right," he said aloud, nodding as he turned off the water and wrapped a towel around his waist. He had way more pride than that.

He jerked open the door, and Tyson cowered at the strength of his scowl, while Max, behind him, just looked concerned. As he stalked down the hallway, he ignored the muttered comment about what had happened to his mood.

_Kai_ had happened to his mood, and then _Tala_ had fucked it up by bringing it to his attention.

Damn them both!

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As always, I am way too lazy to proof-read, so if you see something horrible, gimme a heads up.

Sorry it's been so long. Any questions/comments? Let me know in a nice, friendly review. )


	15. Chapter 15

Hi, I'm back in a spare moment of weekend procrastination. See first chapter for disclaimer.

This entire fic is officially so OOC it hurts my brain. But, oh, how amusing. XD

Also! Chapter for Jens, who prodded me (gently) into writing it.

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Tala was waiting for him when he stepped into his bedroom in nothing but a towel. He looked as though he was well and truly sober now, if groggy, and was cradling a cup of coffee, breathing in its scent.

"That will only dehydrate you," Rei felt compelled to inform him. After all, hangovers were dehydration. He wasn't going to fix it with coffee.

His lips twisted into a smirk. "It makes me feel better," he said in tones so dry Rei couldn't tell if he was serious, mocking himself, or mocking Rei.

He scowled at the redhead for a moment, but shrugged it off. Clearly, sarcasm was Tala's default setting, and no amount of optimism or courtesy was going to change it. Pants. Pants. Where the hell were his pants?

"I did, however, get your practices moved to the afternoons. Now I expect you to keep those stupid brats the hell away from me," he growled.

Rei sighed, giving up the search for his trousers and turning to Tala. "Do you ever do anything but sulk?" he asked acidly. It was unkind, and the moment it spilled from his lips, he felt guilty for saying it. It wasn't his business, and he didn't know anything about Tala, except that he was competitive, a mean Beyblader and apparently an alcoholic.

"Was that the barest hint of a spine I noticed?" Tala asked, blue eyes widening in contrived shock. "Your pants are here, by the way," he added, holding out a folded pile of blue fabric.

Rei snatched them from him, turned his back and began to dress. Tala laughed. "So, kitten, what are you going to do about Hiwatari?"

Rei's ears burned with the kitten remark, but he ignored it. "Nothing," he growled back. "I got what I wanted, so I'm calling it quits." He paused. "Thanks, I guess," he added.

Tala snorted. "Equivalent exchange," he pointed out. "Your thanks are both unnecessary and useless to me. As to you calling it quits," the smirk colored his tone, "if that's how you really feel, you can try."

Rei could visualize the expression on his face; eyes shadowed by thick red bangs, too-thin lips curved into a cruel little smile. He swallowed. A day stuck between Tala and Kai, and he could feel tension riding the air.

"It is. And I will, thank you," he was dressed now. His hair was still dripping little pools on the floor, but he was dressed, and he didn't need to stay there any longer. He knew he had to leave and get out before Tala said something that screwed him up any further, but his legs wouldn't move.

The redhead knew the power he wielded, sprawled against the side of the bed nonchalantly, sipping his coffee in silence. He looked up at Rei through wide blue eyes, like any set on the front of a Hallmark card, tilted his head, raised an eyebrow and leveled that smirk at him.

"Thank you," Rei repeated politely, waiting to move.

Tala didn't say anything for a moment. "Go on. He's waiting."

And suddenly Rei knew why he didn't want to leave. He licked his lips, forced himself to turn, and slammed the door behind him. He could still hear Tala's unsettling laughter trailing behind his soft-padded footsteps.

Rei was _not_ afraid.

That didn't mean he wasn't relieved to find Tyson first, as he passed the empty kitchen and dining area, the wooden-framed mirror and the doors to outside. Tyson was bouncing around the interior of the house, whining that it was too cold to do anything interesting. Kai obviously agreed with the sentiment, since he was still present. He was in the corner of the living room farthest from Tyson's histrionics and pointedly ignoring everything except the book in his hands.

Rei smiled. "Well, hey, I'm sure there's something interesting to do around here," he said brightly. "We just have to find it."

Tyson perked up immediately. "Yeah! Let's go!" he punched the air, grabbed Rei around the shoulders mid-leap, and began bounding away. Rei laughed along and pretended not to see the dark red eyes following his every movement in the mirrors.

They ended up playing board games. Rei had no idea where Max and Kenny had gone to, but he was wishing they'd come back after the seventh round around the Monopoly board. The scene outside the window was dreary, a dull metallic bowl and a constant drizzle, and not only would the others have lightened the atmosphere, they would have entertained Tyson.

"GAAAH! How do you keep WINNING?" Tyson demanded, yanking at his hair. He bounced into an upright position with his legs crossed and hand on his chin thoughtfully.

Naturally, it was this moment when Tala padded back out into the kitchen, apparently searching for some sustenance that didn't come in liquid form. He took a glance at Tyson's posture, raised that godforsaken eyebrow and said, "Wow, don't break anything," in his driest tone.

Rei leveled a glare at Tala's back. While a nearby moth dropped dead from the ceiling, the redhead did not seem terribly affected. He returned his attention to their game, only to find that Tyson was now examining his shoe-shaped playing piece and comparing it to Rei's car.

"Rei…" he said quietly. "We're GOING TO SWAP PIECES!"

"Huh?"

Tyson was nodding to himself. "CLEARLY, there is something SPECIAL about this one that allows YOU to keep getting the GOOD cards and MISSING my houses," he declared.

"Tyson that's –" Rei gave up, dropped his head and nodded. "Okay. Sure. Let's swap. You can have the car."

The outcome of the game was not significantly changed by this swap, but it seemed to make Tyson feel better. Finally, finally, Max came home, and Rei offloaded his entertaining duties on the blonde. It wasn't that he disliked Tyson – on the contrary, they were very good friends. It was simply that he could become a little overwhelming with prolonged exposure. Max, easy-going, bright-eyed creature that he was, was far better suited to his eccentricities than Rei.

He wandered into the kitchen, restless because it really was too cold to go out for anything other than an emergency or dinner (which usually constituted an emergency, given his housemates eating habits).

The bench was occupied. Tala was slumped on a stool at one end, staring down into a bowl of cereal he didn't seem to have touched. Kai had appropriated the stool at the other end, leaving three very empty spaces and a desolate divide between them. His eyes found Rei as he paused in the doorway, but it was very much as though he was looking right through him.

"It's late in the day to be having cereal," Rei commented uneasily, edging into the room. Tala didn't respond.

"That's what I said," Kai said. It wasn't really agreement or reinforcement; it was more like a note, pinned to the top of an interminable stack of coded research.

Rei licked his lips and glanced between them. "Do you… do you want me to cook?" he asked after a moment.

Kai blinked, and suddenly he was looking _at _him instead of through him. Rei met his gaze, and for a split second, his eyes warmed. The gaze didn't soften; Kai would never be less focused, intense, or harsh, but he could warm to him. For that second, Rei understood what _if that's how you really feel, you can try_, was supposed to mean.

Then Tala's smartass voice intruded, and Kai looked away. "Ridiculous," he growled.

With a sigh, Rei turned to raid the refrigerator in hopes of finding some vegetables. Tala could use them.

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Different tone, I think. I know where this is going now, so it shouldn't be quite so confused. So, tell me what you think, note any horrible typos, and I'll update again sometime. Not until after the 14th, mind you, as that's when my exams finish, unless I'm procrastinating _badly_, but sometime.

XD

Yasi


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